The Mar del Plata native who captivated in his debut on the grass of Wimbledon is going through the best moment of a career that has a moving story behind it.
By Marcelo Solari
He is from Mar del Plata, plays tennis and caused a sensation in London with his impressive victory over the Russian Andrey Rublev.
And yes, Francisco Comesaña lives a reality that is very similar to a dream from which he does not want to wake up.Of course, behind this successful present there is a whole story that deserves to be told.
“Everything that happened was very nice. We have enjoyed and also cried a lot. It’s a very strong thing. Unbelievable. I don’t watch the matches because I get very nervous. But this time it was special, so I took courage and sat in front of the TV. But when I saw him come onto the court at Wimbledon, I broke down,” Her mother, Adela, says proudly and excitedly.one of the fundamental pillars.
Because that is where it all began – and continues – in the unconditional support of the family unit, which also includes his father, Agustín, and his brother, Valentín, from those beginnings that, at this point, seem distant and, at the same time, close.
His soul friend, Fran Aran, a classmate since Salita 2 in Jardín de Gutenberg, invited him one Sunday to Edison Lawn TenisAnd “Come” – or “Chino” – went. He was 6 or 7 years old and never put down his racket again.
With his friend Fran Aran. They have known each other since they were two years old.
The club director, Horacio Zeballos (father) He asked where I was playing, because I was immediately doing the exercises without difficulty. He couldn’t believe that I had never had any previous contact with tennis.
Sacrifice and dedication always pay off. Even though the road may sometimes be longer or more difficult, there is no better recipe.
Francisco was the last to leave Edison. When he finished practice on the court, he would go alone to the pelota court and spend hours hitting the ball.
Even a neighbor complained because his daughter couldn’t sleep because when she was at home, the walls and the garage door were hit by balls, over and over again.
There was no doubt that he had found his great motivation in tennis. Of course, as he grew up and his level of play increased, the demands also increased. He had to do physical training, which began to take away time from all the things that a boy of that age does and that high-performance athletes cannot do.
Whether he was at a birthday party, at the beach, or at a friend’s house, when the appointed time came, Francisco would grab his bag and rackets and head to the club. “He never complained or protested. He never did. He was always determined.”Adela clarifies.
And those who really know him support this statement. In the same way they highlight his kindness and humility. “He is as good a tennis player as he is a person,” was often heard in these hours.
San Isidro, football and a kick
There was the tennis player in training, winning almost every tournament he played, but without moving up a category to continue with his friends.
Until another of his passions crossed his path, and he joined San Isidro football (although he is a self-confessed Aldosivi fan). In addition to tennis, he trained twice a week with the biggest ball, playing on Sunday mornings in the Mar del Plata League and in the afternoons, in the Edison tournaments.
He was doing well with the number 9 jersey of the “celeste”. Until one day he was kicked very hard and the sentence came. In the tranquility of his home he said: “I’m not going to play football anymore. They’re going to hurt me and I want to keep playing tennis.”.
Obviously, he made a good decision. He was convinced at all times. And he never ceased to surprise his family. As when he said some time later: “Mommy, take me to English because I’m going to be a professional tennis player.”. And then she started studying at Steps School of English. She was 8 or 9 years old.
Later, the one who was surprised was Agustín. “Dad, I’m going to play in Wimbledon” (Then the roller coaster of sensations experienced this Tuesday in the family home in Punta Mogotes will be even more understandable).
These were the times when parents of two or three tennis players who no longer had rivals at Edison would pack up their cars to travel to Grade 1, Grade 2 or Grade 3 tournaments throughout the province.
Shortly after, together with Ezequiel Santalla and Juan Pablo Grassi Mazzuchi, they made the decision to move to Kimberleyunder the supervision of Bettina FulcoWhen tennis ended in the “green and white” village, they followed Bettina to Teléfonos.
“He made the decisions and we accompanied him. At most, we advised him,” Adela recalls.
In parallel, he also began training with Frederick Cardinalson the private court of Larrea and Mitre. And to prepare physically with Claudia Castillo.
Until the enormous distance between Punta Mogotes and Los Pinares became unsustainable on a daily basis, and put an end to his time at Teléfonos.
As a ball-boy in the Davis Cup series between Argentina and Italy, at the Mar del Plata skating rink.
And the time came for Yacht Clubwith the teacher Daniel Larreina in command of his continued progress. It was much more comfortable. He could even ride his bike from home.
He had already completed the South American Under 12 Championship in Peru, his first trip outside the country, with all the fears and precautions. He achieved a continental runner-up position as a team that he shared with Sebastián Báez and Bruno Caula.
Moving to Buenos Aires
In Mar del Plata he had almost no one to play with. And on a trip to Buenos Aires, Nacho Asenzo suggested the possibility of moving to Cenard.
With the support of his family and all his dreams, Francisco left for the capital. The process of finding him accommodation at the Cenard was one of life’s twists and turns. Sebastian Gutierrezhis current coach.
At that time, he trained daily with Alejandro “Toto” Cerúndolo and his two sons, Francisco and Juan Manuel. However, progress was not very evident.
The following year, perhaps realizing that he was not getting the attention he deserved, he made another important decision. He traveled alone to Neuquén to seek his first ATP point. And he succeeded. He defeated Alejo Vilaró and Adela remembers it as if it were today. “We celebrated like crazy. It was a great joy at that time. He was far away from us and he was beginning to build his path,” she says.
In the second round he lost against Facundo Arguellowhom he would cross paths with again, under completely different circumstances.
His tennis was not progressing much, therefore his income and financial support from his family were sometimes not enough to “support” the entire structure. Many solo trips, mixed results and the abrupt arrival of the pandemic, which surprised him abroad.
He managed to return to the country before the borders closed, but not before the Cenard closed, with all his belongings inside.
He returned to the safety of his home and family. But he was tired and, on top of that, injured in one hand. It took him a while to recover. He trained physically online (like everyone else), but even in isolation, he sometimes managed to train secretly with Cardinali.
Heading to Cordoba
In March 2021, after an M15 in Villa María, he met up again with Argüello, who was retiring as a player to dedicate himself to coaching. After a 15-day trial, his place in the world became Córdoba.
He spent a year as a guest of the family of tennis player Benjamín Alarcón and his career began to take off.
Under Argüello’s tutelage, he did well. He climbed from 774th to 475th in six months, after his great stay in Antalya, Turkey, and the title at the M25 in Villa Allende. And the following year he took off with titles at the Challengers in Corrientes and Buenos Aires. But he finished badly, with 13 consecutive defeats in the first round.
When the relationship with the Cordoba coach ended, the questions and setbacks posed a new crossroads for her life and career.
In Peru, his first tournament outside the country. South American Under 12 with Bruno Caula and Sebastián Báez.
The angel Gutierrez
Fate would have it that she would meet Sebastián Gutiérrez again. Yes, the one who had opened the doors to her at Cenard and who became a fundamental support.
“He calms him down, supports him, slows him down, takes care of him. And he also helps him with his tennis. With him, Francisco found his best version,” say his family, still moved by all the nice things that have been said and written about him in recent days.
The rest is more recent and well-known history. He achieved his first major goal of being in the top 100 (his best position was 87th), but an untimely injury left him unable to play at Roland Garros and made him drop several places in the rankings.
In the world of professional sport, it is often said – not without reason – that it is not as difficult to get there as it is to stay there. That is what Comesaña is doing. With this dream chapter at Wimbledon, he is trying to make his personal story as a tennis player grow.
“Thank you for being with me in the best and worst times. I love my family.”has posted more than once. A whole sentence that defines him and those closest to him.
With Horacio Zeballos (son).
2024-07-04 03:07:54
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